Slash and Burn
by snipars
Summary: Journey into this non-canon look into Cinder Fall's time at beacon as a young student with unimaginable powers, for she is an elemental, 1 of 4 people on Remnant capable of fusing one of the four basic dust types with themselves. Join Cinder on her journey as she comes to terms with her powers and tries to control them. Rated T for violence and suggestive themes.


Cinder sat twiddling her thumbs in the cold steel chair. A single lamp lay overhead, casting a cone of light on her figure and also illuminating a small plate of cookies set before her. Resting his elbows on the table, stood Professor Ozpin. His cane tapped gently on the floor, as if he was searching for the right words to say. Cinder gazed curiously at the man, her amber eyes glowing gently.

"Do you realize your final performance exam at signal scored a whopping 595, scores we see graduating students make on their _exit _from Beacon. You were automatically sent to the rejection notice because the filter wouldn't accept that score."

Ozpin pulled out a large black scroll, it began displaying her battle against the Giant Armor. The giant armor swung, Cinder dodged left, rolling and recovering quickly, now with her blades Slash and Burn ready to attack. She quickly summoned a hell jet under the Giant Armor. Realizing the impending danger, the Giant Armor jumped towards cinder as the large get of energized magma shot from the ground, letting out a large scream. Cinder jumped forward, dragging Slash and Burn through its left shoulder then transitioning her weapons into a bow and firing a tri-bolt into the Giant Armors exposed wound, causing it to explode into a fiery cloud of dust, leaving nothing but the empty husks of armor. Cinder landed on the ground and curtseyed as the video feed ended.

"There's one part of this video that I like in particular" Ozpin continued.

He backed the video up and started looping the summoning of the hell jet.

"There was no fire dust, so you couldn't have cast that through raw wielding of dust, and signal scanned your uniform for any dust weaving to prevent cheating, leaving only one option…" he quizzically looked upon Cinder, no apparent anger in his eyes, just sheer amazement. He regarded her eyes for a while, cinder sat still, twiddling her thumbs and looking at the blonde woman standing in the corner.

"So how did it happen" Ozpin asked, finally breaking the silence.

Cinder twitched, there's no way he could know, after all, she barely knew how it had happened.

"I don't know" she stumbled, as her substance-less lie tumbled out her mouth, creating a silence as she knew Ozpin wasn't buying it. His hazel eyes gazed at her, almost as if he was bored. They were unchanging, the tapping of his cane stopped as he began again.

"It takes decades of training, mental stamina, and preparation before one can fuse dust with themselves without it backfiring in horrendous ways, and even then the process is so undeniably deadly it's almost considered a dark art. Yet you, as a child have done it." He sounded impressed.

Cinder was stunned, although it should be obvious what she was, the mere idea of fusing dust into your body is so lost in history, it isn't even considered a possibility. The standard for dust was cartridges. Yet here he was, instantly recognizing Cinder for who she was. Someone who had uncovered a long lost secret and taken a risk. It was clear this man was more than met the eye.

"Fire is the second most dangerous form of dust, it feeds off of the very forces that keep you alive, unchecked, and uncaring. Even more so, fire is a basic form of dust, meaning you are…"

Cinder perked up, she had always needed a name to peg herself to, an identifying factor. He shifted uncomfortably, leaning towards Cinder to meet her eyes. His voice lowered to a mere whisper.

"An Elemental."

"I…" Cinder was enticed. Her eyes now glowed furiously, burning with the desire for knowledge. "Want to know more".

"I don't know much I'm afraid, it's not an everyday event, but what you are is strictly a secret, if someone is smart enough to figure it out, notify me. We are done here."

Ozpin quickly stormed out. There was something he wasn't telling Cinder, she was sure of it.

A blonde lady in a black business skirt stepped forward. She introduced herself as Glenda Goodwitch, handed Cinder a scroll, and walked her out of the room. Cinder had a very uncertain future ahead of her, and now, more than ever, she needed answers.

* * *

><p>Cinder stood on the stone platform encrusted with the beacon logo overlooking the emerald forest. The previous night had been a bust. It was a giant slumber party, but was missing the essential parts of a slumber party, like friends, and pizza. Ozpin and Glenda glared down the row of students, each standing on their stone platforms.<p>

"Welcome to your initiation, the culmination of your years of training. Some of you may have heard rumors that teams will be formed today, well we are here to out those rumors to rest. They are absolutely true." Glenda began

"The first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the remaining four years at beacon, so choose wisely." Ozpin added. "You and your partner will then proceed to the northern end of the forest. Creatures will try to kill you, destroy them"

"You will be graded and ranked throughout the initiation, but you will receive no assistance from our instructors. You will find a ruin, located there are several relics. Choose one. Make it to the top of the cliff and guard it until sundown." Glenda continued.

"Also, make sure to employ your landing strategy" Ozpin added as the first student propelled from the stone platform.

Cinder was ready, they had spent weeks practicing these at signal. Chang! Another student was off. Cinder's eyes began to blaze with excitement. Glowing with anticipation as the sounds of students being launched into the green below grew closer. Cinder buckled her legs slightly, spun quickly in a circle, summoning Slash and Burn before coming to a rest in a crouched kneel.

DOUNG! The hydraulics went off, quickly propelling Cinder towards the emerald forest. As she soared through the air, she spun with her blades outstretched; fire trailed behind her. Her clothes, infused with dust, glowed brilliantly making her appear to be a spinning flame twirling through the sky.

As Cinder reached the apex of her arc and began her fall back to Remnant, she decided it was time to enact her landing strategy. With a quick backwards spin, she fused Slash and Burn together, forming a bow-like shape. Forming two arrows, she pulled pack against the invisible resistance of Slash and Burn, aiming two arrows immediately to her left and right, towards two large trees emerging from the canopy that grew closer with each second. With a silent twang, Slash and Burn fired the two arrows, trailing behind them a thin cable. Cinder unfused her bow and hooked her two blades onto the thin line. Suddenly, the string pulled taught, jerking hard at Cinder as she rapidly decelerated. The wire slowed Cinder to a slow speed, she was effectively forming a slingshot, as once her momentum stopped Cinder would be catapulted back with tremendous speeds. Of course though, Cinder rolled smoothly into a landing, as the long wire snapped back hard before flaring up and quickly burning away in a flash of flame.

* * *

><p>AN

So here's the first chapter. I hope it generates interest. As usual, it feels like its rushed (not in quality as in spelling issues, just in length and explanations) so I will revise this story as needed. Check out RWBY:Reach if you have yet to do so, if that's your kind of thing. Finally, please leave comments, call me out on my crap or give praise, i value both equally.


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